Community Roundtable: Most significant issue facing U.S.

Friday

Mar 10, 2017 at 9:48 AMMar 10, 2017 at 9:48 AM

Of the following national issues, which is most significant and where do you stand on that issue? — GOP's plan to repeal Affordable Care Act— President Trump alleging former President Obama had him wiretapped— Responding to North Korea's nuclear threat— The Trump administration's new travel ban for immigrants from six countries

GOP trying to pass worse healthcare

So many screw-ups, so little time. Since the courts will shut down the travel ban again and nobody believes him about Obama, it’s nuclear war vs. the repeal. The Korea situation is a mess: we have a crazy North Korean president using threats and bluster to stay in power, a crazy US president using threats and bluster to try to look powerful, and a South Korean president facing removal from office through impeachment for corruption. All three have a motive to talk and act tough. I hate to be relying on the Chinese to be the grown-ups, but that’s what it looks like. I don’t think anyone wants a war, but let’s hope no one makes a mistake. Meanwhile, back on the ranch, the GOP are going to try to ram through a plan where most Americans will get worse health care at a higher cost, except for the wealthy, who will get both tax credits and tax cuts, and the poor, who will mostly get no coverage at all. As the man would tweet: Sad!!! — David Amor

Strike back against N. Korea

All of the issues are significant.

The Affordable Care Act: “If you like your doctor ...” “If you like your plan ...” “The average family will save ...” ACA was sold on these deliberately deceptive and misleading statements.

Wiretapping of Trump: It’s hard to tell where the truth is or if there is any evidence. Those assuring us that it didn’t happen have their own issues with the truth, including lying to Congress, wiretapping and intimidation of reporters, etc.

North Korea’s nuclear threat: Three generations of criminally insane despotic tyranny should be considered a serious threat. Prepare to strike back HARD! Then of course there’s the leader’s “brotherly love!”

Travel Ban: Hopefully we are able to learn from liberal Europe. Their experiences with terrorism should be an example of what NOT to do. There are a lot of images of American weakness to overcome. — Charlie Gruner

Electric grid vulnerable to bomb

North Korea is unlikely to be able to hit San Francisco or Seattle, two cities which opposed President Bush building a missile site in Alaska with the potential of shooting down one or two North Korea missiles.

But the greater threat is a nuclear explosion miles above the earth that would send an electromagnetic pulse which would burn out every device using transistors, including many satellites.

Our electrical grid is vulnerable. We would soon be short of everything we need to survive. Therefore, steps should be made to "harden" it immediately. We can buy new transistor radios much easier than we can replace our communication systems.

This is blackmail. North Korea expects Trump to back down as Obama did to Putin's insistence to remove a similar system designed to protect Europe from a few Iranian missiles. Putin seems to have concluded that he would be a push-over, with results we all know.

I doubt Trump will abandon South Korea so easily.

This is an issue that should concern Democrats as much as Republicans. — William Urban

Trump's Twitter ramblings frightening

Considering the GOP healthcare plan is considered a farce by Democrats, House Republicans, AARP, American Hospital Association, and the AMA, no one should consider it as a serious alternative to the ACA. The reason is GOP haven’t come up with an alternative is because they are incapable of creating one, and don't want one. The concern the Republicans have shown the American people is not about providing overall and better healthcare coverage. Their only concern has been to dismantle anything by President Obama because he did it better and they know it.

What has me more concerned are the ramblings of a person who genuinely seems to be on the verge of some type of paranoid psychotic breakdown. Donald Trump’s lies and baseless accusations on Twitter should frighten all Americans. His lies are the precursor to a phony war. To refresh our memories, the Bush administration lied about Iraq having WMDs based on unfounded conclusions and flawed intelligence. When Trump's baseless accusations against Obama are proven to be the lies they are, Congress seriously needs to start impeachment hearings. — John Hunigan

Trump and North Korea bad combo

The ill-conceived health care plan the GOP released this week left even Illinois Governor Rauner “very concerned” that “people will be left in the lurch” by “pressure to reduce insurance coverage.” Extremist Republicans and Democrats will block it.

The most concerning thing about his accusation of President Obama having wiretapped him is its demonstration of how quickly President Trump becomes unhinged when he’s frustrated or challenged. We knew he was dangerously ignorant of the Constitution and the world. As we see how precarious his psychological balance is and consider his explosive nature, the North Korean nuclear threat is even more concerning. North Korea is a small, closed state controlled by a dictator who, like Stalin, rules through fear and aims to intimidate nations beyond his borders. He would be alarming enough if we were confronting him through a well-balanced and informed leader like Jeb Bush or Secretary Clinton, but, alas, we are not. Although I am appalled by the heartless, incredibly stupid and counter-productive travel ban, North Korea and who we have to deal with it are even more worrisome. — Laurie Muelder

Healthcare: poor lose, rich win

Everyone should by now be familiar with the Obamacare repeal by the GOP. Short story — millions will lose coverage. And those who benefit? You really don’t have to think hard on that one. About four weeks ago — one of my very healthy sons (20 years old and a college football player) experienced severe abdominal pain. Yes, appendicitis. And it was dangerous and he was hospitalized for three days. Now, I have health care coverage through my English-owned company. They provide good healthcare coverage. It isn’t cheap. But you know those Socialist people of England like to take care of their citizens (Government Healthcare coverage] and they also take care of their employees throughout the globe. I haven’t gotten the final bill but I have seen the charges. I know I am going to be on the hook for about $2,200 so far. More to come though.

Consider what an appendectomy costs now — depending on how complicated, severe, etc., $10,000 to $35,000. Now go back and see how the current GOP plan assists the rich vs. the poor, the disabled, the elderly … . Yes look at the plan the GOP party is considering. That same party who says they represent Christian love, forgiveness and understanding. And the tea party? They want it gone now … such love, such compassion, such BS. — Stephen Podwojski

Trump faces first foreign threat

All are significant.

1. Until the GOP alternative to Obamacare takes more definite form, I’ll wait and see. It’s a difficult issue and I’m disappointed there wasn’t a plan already to go.

2. Trump should present evidence when making such an explosive allegation. But we have seen equally explosive allegations of wide spread eavesdropping by Obama’s government so I’ll wait until the facts come out.

3. North Korea’s little Mad Dog is a grave threat to the future of the world as a maniac with a nuclear bomb. This presents the first test of Trump’s foreign policy team and their ability to get China to defuse this crisis will determine whether they’re up to the job.

4. If you mean the temporary ban pending a review of vetting procedures (which is what I understand the order to provide) then I approve. If you mean the mischaracterizations by Trump’s opponents, I don’t have an opinion. — Harry Bulkeley

Trump and Russia biggest issue

Any GOP healthcare plan is NOT going to be better, more affordable or accessible for Americans — the current plan they're trying to push through is a thinly-veiled, huge tax-cut program for the wealthy. Hot-head Trump responding to any foreign leader is concerning; anticipating his response to North Korea's provocations are extremely troubling, especially with Trump's talk of needing more nukes and a $54 billion increase in defense spending.

If there was a FISA warrant for wire-tapping Trump Tower a court decided there was a sufficient reason to do so, not Obama's call. The most significant issue facing our nation is Trump and his associate's ties with Russian financiers, and what they have promised in exchange, not only for the cyber-hacking assistance in the 2016 election, but for the millions or billions of dollars possibly floated to Trump and company. We need a bipartisan, independent counsel or special investigator to get underway NOW to root out this corruption and treason! — Trish Forsyth Voss

The Community Roundtable runs each Friday and is made up of local writers. Community writers answer one question each week in 150 words or fewer. To apply to join the roundtable, write to Tom Martin at tmartin@register-mail.com or 140 S. Prairie St., Galesburg, IL 61401.

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